The Nation: Toppling the Titans

At past conventions it would have been unthinkable to treat those two
titans of Democratic politicsAFL-CIO President George Meany and
Chicago Mayor Richard Daleywith anything but deference and respect.
Between them, they were supposed to hold the balance of victory and
defeat for the presidential nominee. Yet last week the unthinkable
happened. Meany and Daley were not only slighted, they were not in
evidence at the convention and openly mocked. The nominee himself set
the tone when he told reporters that he did not think it would be
"fatal" if Meany and Daley...